


Sherlock Reads The Hobbit

by Merrinpippy (orphan_account)



Category: Sherlock (TV), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Bet you haven't seen anything like this posted before (cough), Bit late for "new Hobbit movies" but oh well, Gen, Sherlock OOC on purpose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-28
Updated: 2013-07-28
Packaged: 2017-12-21 16:20:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/902346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Merrinpippy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John has decided that, as a way of celebrating the release of the new Hobbit movies, John should find a way to make Sherlock read the book.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sherlock Reads The Hobbit

Sherlock has a lot of books in his flat.

  
Apparently, he's already deleted them.

  
They look boring, anyway.

  
However, John has decided that, as a way of celebrating the release of the new Hobbit movies, John should find a way to make Sherlock read the book. WITHOUT deleting it.

  
The case Sherlock is on is a 6 at best, but Sherlock has been bored and John can't take any more of his sulking.

  
John is going to use the time in Sherlock's absence (since he has no reason to be with Sherlock) to buy The Hobbit, and think of a way to make him read it. He has two days, at most.

  
Sherlock's texting him every hour with things like, "Too easy," and "Good God I hate the boring ones," which is distracting to say the least so John turns his phone off. Not like he uses it for anything other than texting Sherlock...which does sound dodgy. John's not going to think about that.

  
John decides to play to Sherlock's weaknesses- his curiosity, his need to show off and his observation of detail.

  
Well, on second thought, his observation of detail isn't exactly a weakness, but it's something John can use.

  
He decides, since Sherlock observes everything he can, that he's going to make a little...change, every day. An simple one, but one that Sherlock will undoubtedly observe.  
And then boast about (the annoying git).

  
The plan is as follows:

  
\--John will move any object in the living room to where John has decided to keep The Hobbit (the coffee table), and put The Hobbit where the object in question used to be.

  
\--The next day, John will swap The Hobbit and another item in the room.

  
\--John will continue until Sherlock confronts him about it, either out of fustration or amusement or whatever emotion Sherlock chooses to feel.

  
John is quite proud of his plan. The first object is a pillow from the couch.

  
The couch now has The Hobbit on it, and the coffee table now has a pillow on it.

  
John is laughing about the absurdity of what he's just done when Sherlock makes an enterance. Sherlock gives him a Look, but John ignores it and goes to make two cups of tea.

  
John turns around (just in case Sherlock reacts). He sees Sherlock with an odd expression on his face that he doesn't see often (confusion?) and John is trying very hard not to laugh. Sherlock is looking back and forth between the pillow and the book, and does this for about 20 seconds before hanging his coat up.

  
"Solved the case?" John calls, almost finished with the tea.

  
"Yes..." Sherlock comes back into the room and leans against the kitchen wall. "I would tell you, but it's not very impressive. I'm surprised we thought it was a 6. More like a 5, or a 4. Apparently it couldn't wait."

  
Sherlock narrows his eyes at John before taking his cup of tea that John's just finished making.

  
Of course Sherlock knows about John's involvement in getting Sherlock out of the house. He does feel sorry for Lestrade, though, having to deal with an unimpressed Sherlock all day. It's hard enough for John, and they're flat mates.

  
John makes a mental note to buy Lestrade a pint the next time they go to the pub.

  
John takes a look at Sherlock, who's strewn across the couch in that way he always does before he starts shooting walls and the like. John sighs.

  
He orders chinese for both of them. Sherlock was never very social to begin with.

* * *

  
John wakes up before Sherlock on purpose. As quietly as he can, he slips downstairs into the living room. He notices pillow and book still where he left them.

  
He picks up The Hobbit and looks around for another item to swap. He sees his target on the mantelpiece. _Ah. That's sure to catch his attention._

  
John replaces Sherlock's skull with The Hobbit, then moves to put the skull on the couch. He is trying to be better at not laughing this time, but now there's a book on the mantelpiece, a pillow on the coffee table and a skull on the couch.

  
He probably won't last much longer.

  
John, after having breakfast, leaves the flat in favour of going to town. He intends to go to the bookstore and find more books to try to make Sherlock read (he's having fun anyway, even without Sherlock actively showing an interest).

  
He wastes about £30 in the store. It doesn't matter if Sherlock doesn't read them, at least he can read them and mess up the living room while he's at it.

  
John stops at the cornershop before he goes back to 221B. One can never have too much strawberry jam, and he assumes that Sherlock's growing something in the milk again (selfish bastard).

  
When he gets home Sherlock's working on an experiment. This one involves old shoes and an irritant liquid, going by the bottle. John doesn't want to know.

  
He edges past Sherlock to get to the fridge and deposits the milk, using a nearby sharpie to write 'This is NOT a garden' on it. The snort behind him says this amuses Sherlock.

John rolls his eyes and puts the jam in too. Sherlock knows by now not to touch his jam.

  
John refuses to acknowledge the feeling of Sherlock watching him leave the room, but does notice that The Hobbit has been swapped back to the couch, meaning Sherlock's at least had a look at it. John smiles.

  
He puts the books he bought underneath his bed. He goes back downstairs to where Sherlock has seemingly finished his experiment and is sitting on the couch. With The Hobbit.

  
_That was quick._

  
"John. What is this and why have you upset the natural order because of it?" Sherlock attempts nonchalance but fails magnificently, hitting confusion instead. _Ha._

  
"It's a book, Sherlock. Thought you would have observed that by now." John does a better job than Sherlock controlling his voice, though It's incredibly hard not to burst out laughing at the sight of Sherlock's face.

  
"John, why is there a children's book in our flat?"

  
"I put it here. Bought it myself, actually." John smirks.

  
"Why did you buy a children's book, exactly?" Sherlock tries to hide his confusion with sarcasm.

  
"Because it's a damn good children's book. Why, has it been channelling Anderson towards you?"

  
Sherlock blinks. John take his hesitation as an escape route to his room.

  
As he picks up the Lord of the Rings trilogy he bought he realises that Sherlock's acting a bit...strange. He gets up to question him about is but notices...

  
...The Hobbit poster he bought previously is unravelled.

  
_Oh._

  
John creeps downstairs. _As quietly as a hobbit_ , he thinks. The thought alone is almost enough to send him over the edge giggling.

  
What he finds downstairs is enough to keep him completely sober.

  
Sherlock's reading The Hobbit, curled up on the couch. It's so unlike Sherlock, but John decides to leave him alone. He notes that Sherlock is about a third of the way in already.

  
John falls asleep smiling and reading the Fellowship of the Ring.

* * *

  
When John wakes up, Sherlock's already downstairs. Sherlock looks up from The Hobbit to look at him.

  
"Morning," says John. Sherlock goes back to reading.

  
John puts the kettle on and turns back to watch Sherlock. After about a minute Sherlock looks up again.

  
"I finished it last night. It was...good. I'm just re-reading it now." Sherlock seems distant, but John recognises this way of talking from the time at the pool after John tried to let Sherlock escape from Moriarty. John shudders.

  
"Just good?" John prompts him. Sherlock nods.

  
"Okay..." John waves away most of the obsessive questions in his head and asks, "What was your favourite part?"

 

Sherlock looks up and hesitates. "Riddles in the dark." When John raises an eyebrow, Sherlock adds, "It's...interesting. The interaction between the characters."

  
Before he can continue, Sherlock recieves a text. When Sherlock reads it, John recognises the look in his eyes.

  
"Come on John, we've got a case!" 

**Author's Note:**

> I may do more of these with different books. It depends on feedback. Of course if I did, there would be a different reaction and more interaction between Sherlock and John.


End file.
